Employment Law Change coming soon

The Government set out its commitments in the Good Work Plan to extend the entitlement to a statement of ‘written particulars’ to include workers as well as employees (Part 2 of Employment Rights (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2019).

The current position is that employers have up to two months to issue the statement to any employee working for them for more than a month. This is set to change from 6 April 2020 when the right to a statement of written particulars will become a day one right.

The Good Work Plan has also expanded what should be included in the written statement, so that in addition to the current information that must be provided it should also include:

• how long a job is expected to last, or the end date of a fixed-term contract
• how much notice the employer and worker are required to give to terminate the agreement
• details of eligibility for sick leave and pay
• details of other types of paid leave e.g. maternity leave and paternity leave
• the duration and conditions of any probationary period
• all remuneration (not just pay) e.g. vouchers, lunch, health insurance
• the normal working hours, the days of the week the worker is required to work, and whether or not such hours or days may be variable, and if they may be how they vary or how that variation is to be determined
• any training entitlement provided by the employer, any part of that training entitlement which the employer requires the worker to complete, and any other training which the employer requires the worker to complete and which the employer will not bear the cost.

Please ensure that you have made arrangements with your provider to ensure that all required information is included in new contracts issued after 6 April 2020. These changes are part of a bigger reform of employment practices and rights that will be phased in over a number of years and will keep you updated on how these changes will affect you and your staff.